Drivers and consequences of individual specialization in an Arctic marine top predator

Principal Investigator: Gregory Thiemann Funding: NSERC Discovery Grant. Term: 2021-2026. The proposed research involves testing hypotheses around the environmental drivers and ecological consequences of individual specialization, using the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) as a model species and target for conservation. As a long­-lived top predator in a dynamic habitat, polar bears demonstrate several characteristics that

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Assessing the Holocene paleoenvironmental history of Lake Scugog

by Randelle Adano Lake Scugog is a large, shallow reservoir in southern Ontario that has faced multiple stressors like climate change, eutrophication, and invasive species over the post-industrial period. The arrival of the first, early settlers in ~1700 has brought significant infrastructure development in the area, most notably the building of the Lindsay Dam in

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Ontario's cormorant hunt and what it means for its future

by Gail Fraser For the last 14 years, I’ve studied double-crested cormorants at Tommy Thompson Park on the east side of Toronto’s harbour. Every April, I put on my coveralls and venture forth to follow a sample of nests, recording when nesting began and whether birds were successful at raising young. My goal is to

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Knowledge co-production to address human-polar bear conflict in Southern Hudson Bay and James Bay

Polar bears in Ontario are at the southern limit of their species’ range. As part of the Southern Hudson Bay subpopulation, these roughly 800 bears migrate onto land when the sea ice of Hudson Bay melts completely each summer. On shore, polar bears primarily fast and rely on stored fat for energy. With increasing global

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Climate change and differing lake characteristic's impact on cyanobacteria bloom formation in oligotrophic systems

Cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as Blue-Green Algae, are a ubiquitous photosynthetic bacteria that under the right conditions – high light, warm temperatures, high nutrient concentrations, high thermal stability, low surficial sediment redox– cyanobacteria are able to rapidly proliferate, forming dense populations or blooms (often creating dense mats on the water surface). Freshwater blooms are detrimental

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Polar bear diets reflect environmental changes

When people hear the words “global warming,” they often think of the polar ice caps melting, and the polar bears that suffer as a result. This raises questions about how rising temperatures and sea ice loss are affecting the diets of polar bears, and how this information can be used to help protect them. New research from

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Characterizing the denning habitat and movements of polar bears in Southern Hudson Bay

The research aims to inform and advance Government Response Statement (GRS) actions, as well as provide new insights into the ecology of polar bears in Ontario. The overarching goal is to better understand the influence of climate change on the ecology and biology of polar bears in Southern Hudson Bay. Funding:  Species at Risk Research

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Ocean frontiers: An interdisciplinary workshop on the changing contours of marine space and resource access

This two-day workshop, titled “Ocean Frontiers: An Interdisciplinary Workshop on the Changing Contours of Marine Space and Resource Access,” brought together a network of interdisciplinary scholars to explore the political-economic and ecological dynamics that shape new resource practices in marine zones. The overall goal was to unite social scientists and ecologists to share their understanding

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York-MOE Partnership on Lake Simcoe

Ontario Ministry of Environment (ENE) The project aimed to develop and enhance understanding of the ecological issues pertaining to Lake Simcoe to protect, improve or restore the elements that contribute to the ecological health of its watershed, including water quality, hydrology, heritage, and hydrologic features and functions. Researcher: PI: Lewis Molot Project Theme: Resource Management

Tracking Polar Bear Foraging Success in the Canadian Arctic

Kenneth Molson Foundation/York University Foundation The project monitored trends in foraging as well as nutritional conditions of polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. Researcher: PI: Greg Thiemann Project Theme: Resource Management